My wife (Dr. Julie)and I are natural care physicians working in Freeport Illinois. We also raise Alpacas on our farmette outside of town. Having practiced in Chicagoland for 20 years we are very much enjoying the more rural lifestyle. I write a monthly newsletter for my patients and colleagues that I will post on this site so others may share.

Friday, March 02, 2007

FHN ComplementaryMedicine Monthly NewsletterMarch 2007

We all know the benefits of fiber! Fiber not only promotes health, it also helps reduce the risk for some chronic diseases. For instance, fiber prevents constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. Fiber is also linked to prevent some cancers especially colon and breast cancer. In addition, fiber may help lower the LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) and the total cholesterol therefore reducing the risk of heart disease. Furthermore, fiber can help lower blood sugar therefore help better manage diabetes.

The intake of crude fiber in the American diet was assessed for 7 timeperiods between 1909 and 1975 using food consumption and compositiontables. Crude fiber intake dropped 28% from 6.8 g/day in 1909 to 4.9 g/dayin 1957 to 1959 and has remained at that level until the present. Theintake of fiber from vegetables has remained relatively constant from 1909to 1975 while potatoes, fruit, cereals, dry peas, and dry bean consumptionhave declined. The trends shown for crude fiber consumption in the UnitedStates support the hypothesis that fiber intake has decreasedcoincidentally with increases in degenerative diseases.

Fiber falls into 2 broad catagories soluble and insoluble. Both soluble and insoluble fiber are undigested. They are therefore not absorbed into the bloodstream. Instead of being used for energy, fiber is excreted from our bodies. Soluble fiber forms a gel when mixed with liquid, while insoluble fiber does not. Insoluble fiber passes through our intestines largely intact, therefore bulks up the size and weight of the feces.Soluble fiber bind with fatty acids and prolong stomach emptying time so that sugar is released and absorbed more slowly.

The RDA of fiber is 25 grams.Sadly the average American diet contains between 1.7g to 10g per day.Obviously we need to do better.We need 5-6 servings of vegetables (potatoes don’t count and ketchup is not a vegetable) and 3-4 WHOLE grain servings per day to come close to that amount.The best source of fiber is your food.If you can’t or won’t eat that much you may need to supplement your fiber input.But not all fibers are the same…the fiber you take depends on what you need and what you are trying to accomplish.

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About Me

Since 1985, Glenn Smith has been providing his services in a natural-care, family-practice office. After all these years, he is still amazed at the body's ability to respond and heal naturally. Dr. Smith specializes in Acupuncture, Naturopathy, Naprapathy, and Chiropractic care. After completing undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering at Valparaiso University, Dr. Smith received a Doctor of Naprapathy Degree from the Chicago National College of Naprapathy - where he met his wife, Dr. Julie Smith. He then earned his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree from the National Chiropractic College in Lombard, where he was honored with the Academic Program Development Award. He is board certified and licensed in Acupuncture, Naturopathy and Naprapathy. Dr. Smith is a member of several associations, including the American Chiropractic Association, Illinois Chirpractic Society, and Illinois Acupuncture Federation. Dr. Smith is married to his partner, Dr. Julie Smith. They enjoy an active life with their two children, and can often be found playing insturments and singing in local musical groups as well as attending the alpaca herd.